Teyr - Estren

The Guardian 0

(Sleight of Hand)
Mixing it up to rousing effect, this accomplished trio’s intricate arrangements of uilleann pipes, accordion and guitar are in a class of their own

As a trio with members from Cornwall, Ireland and Wales, you would expect diversity from Teyr (Cornish for “three”), which they duly deliver on this finely wrought second album. They like to mix things up; assorted traditions and modernity, instrumental and song, jig, reel, ballad and stillness. Their core sound is a blend of uilleann pipes, accordion and guitar, but they are well augmented here by guest violins, cello and voices. Though they wear their instrumental prowess lightly, the intricacy of their arrangements sets them apart from their contemporaries. Arrivals and Departures, the opening pair of instrumentals on an album themed around human movement, offer a typically playful interplay.

Estren (“Stranger”), a Victorian ballad, reworks its tale of Cornish migration for modern times, and is echoed by an original, Gone Is the Traveller. On La Bestia, Cornish fishing gets tangled up with what’s called “a curious Bayou waltz”, with guiding shouts from ashore by South African cellist Abel Selaocoe in his Lesotho tongue. Flower of the Sun is plucked from Basque tradition, while the contemplative Kuusilta, rich with violins, describes a moonrise over a Finnish lake. A rowdy valedictory march completes a subtle, insinuating album; a catch of fresh folk.